The Best of Croatia...in Hvar!
Croatian Tourism Authorities have been advertising with the slogan "The Mediterranean as it once was" - and featured on billboards and in commercials we usually find some sights from Dubrovnik, Korcula and...Hvar. As the fourth most popular destination for visitors in Croatia, the island of Hvar is undeniably beautiful and yet not overly exploited touristically, stretching with its green bushes from one side of blue sea to another with the blue sky in between. Jagged inlets mark the coastline, while in the center we find a central ridge featuring long grey lines of limestone heaps, built by farmers over many centuries in their efforts to gain arable land for cultivation. This landscape was declared a UNESCCO world heritage site in 2008 as among the best preserved ancient Greek landscape in the Mediterranean. Lavender used to be among the most popular crops until fire reduced its cultivation recently. Yet anything made from lavender, pouches of potpouri or bottles of lavender oil still remain among the most popular gifts to purchase here.
Hvar was initially settled by the Greeks around 385 BC naming their first settlement Pharos, which is nowadays the beautiful small town of STARI GRAD in the center of the island. It houses a small yet ornate Dominican monastery founded in 1482 - mass there on a Sunday makes for an unforgettable experience. The monastery also features the painting The Interment of Christ by Tintoretto, a 17th century crucifix and two works by Venetian artist Gianbattista Crespi. Following periods of Roman and Byzantine rule, the island was later settled by Croatian Tribes who changed its name from Pharos to Hvar. By 1420, the island fell under Venetian Rule and was subsequently raided by the Ottoman Turks in 1571. Many island residents had to watch from the Spaniola Fortress above Hvar town how their belongings and dwelling were torched by the Turks - most buildings in Hvar town were actually rebuilt after the Turkish invasion.
Nowadays tourism on the island centers around Hvar town and the surrounding Pakleni islands, the most popular of which are Jerolim and Stipanska. Both feature beautiful naturist beaches and rocky coastline with lush vegetation on the islands themselves. Thus Hvar is a popular destination for both pro-active visitors wishing to engage in fishing, sailing or mountain biking and sunworshippers who wish to take advantage of the island´s ideal climate with over 2715 hours of sunlight a year. Regular boat service connects Hvar town and the Pakleni Islands at reasonable prices starting at about 50 HRK round trip. The last boats to return to Hvar town usually leave around 7pm during the summer peak.
Hvar town, dominated by beautiful buildings from Venetian rule, is easy to get around with activity centering on St. Stephen´s square (Sveti Stepan) with its beautiful Cathedral. From there the city spreads in two directions either uphill towards the fortress, in the protective shadows of which noblemen used to live, and in the opposite direction towards the sea, formerly the living quarters of humble peasants and fishermen. No visit to Hvar is ever complete without witnessing the magnificent panorama of Hvar town and the Pakleni islands from high above Spaniola Fortress, dating back to the 13th century and finished by Spanish in the 14th century, giving it the nickname "Spaniola". Watching the cruiseships and small vessels in the bay of Hvar from up there, it truly feels like a magical place, yet unspoilt by mass tourism and overdevelopment. We can only hope it may stay preserved in its present form for many more generations to come.
Comments
Post a Comment